Search form

Matty Amendola

Country:

US

Band or Affiliations:

New York Studios - Independent (Session Drummer/Producer)

Influences:

The Beatles, Jon Brion, Stevie Wonder

We asked...Why Gretsch?:

I was born, raised, and still reside in Brooklyn, NY just like Gretsch. After hearing Gretsch’s Brooklyn Series kit, I knew I couldn’t be behind any other drum set. I’m a long lost family member and now I’m home...

Talented, versatile and uniquely-determined, Matty has been playing drums professionally since the age of 13, has recorded on a countless number of albums, released two of his own and has quickly become a recognized producer and songwriter. In 2008, he started music incubator, 825 Records, Inc., delivering material from a wide-ranging roster of artists (Katie Lee, Fleet Walker, The Lovegoods, Jay Shepard). He has landed world-wide broadcast licensing placements, developed dozens of independent artists from the ground-up and recorded and shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the industry including Adam Levine and Ty Taylor of Vintage Trouble.

A Brooklyn native, Matty has been making big moves and is being recognized for his work in the New York City and national music scenes. Don’t let his young looks fool you – this experienced musician started on drums at age five, and within a few short years he was sneaking into bars and clubs to sit in with as many musicians as possible. As a teenager, Matty started working as a musician for hire, making his mark performing on major television shows, national tours and studio work with some legendary heavy hitters.

Encouraged by his father, Billy Amendola, who had three Billboard Top 10 dance hits with his band Mantus, Matty developed his talents beyond the drum kit, learning guitar and writing his own music. By age 13, Matty was playing with a variety of bands, opening up for larger acts in nearly every small venue in New York City. Throughout high school, Matty worked as a drummer for hire for studio work and live shows. He also started running his father’s studio, helping young talent by producing their music and giving them a professional, marketable product.

In late 2006, right out of high school, Matty embarked on a 22-city tour as both drummer and MD for "Jump," a dance competition shown on Nickelodeon, and toured with Nick Diaz and Weird Old America. Through this extensive touring, Matty quickly became a well-known drummer within the industry for his hard-hitting rock/funk style and appeared in advertisements in every drum magazine in the United States.

He got his first taste of fame playing bass in TV personality Damien Fahey's band, The Classic Futures. In addition to co-writing and co-producing their debut release, Another Way, Matty performed with The Classic Futures on MTV's TRL as well as on tour throughout the Northeast. His experience with them helped him discover his skill for studio work. “I love making parts and sounds feel multi-dimensional,” Matty states. “I really love producing.”

In early 2008, Matty chose to stop touring and focus on producing in order to create marketable music for young artists. "I quickly went from red carpets to dingy studio carpets in recording studios," says Matty. And so, the music incubator 825 Records was born. Matty works closely with every artist on the 825 roster, using his songwriting and producing expertise to craft raw materials info polished, finished musical gems. He built a small team to drive the marketing and publicity campaigns of each artist and gained wide regard in the industry as a label that stays true to its independent roots. "Artist development is best put into the hands of the artists themselves," said David Weiss in Sonicscoop.com.

Matty has also periodcially released solo material since 2007; with each track transitioning easily between heavy rock, catchy pop and slow ballads, forcing the listener to wonder what style he’ll pull out next. Grammy Award Winning audio engineer and now co-worker, Butch Jones (Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, Madonna) says, “Working with Matty is hard to put into a few short words. But it’s a real charge for me!”

Amendola rebuilt 825 Records' studio and facility in the summer of 2014, with the help of studio builders Chris Harmaty & Brian Dorfman. Since then, it’s very rare to catch Matty on stage, but if and when you do, it’s always something special. From corporate events for IBM & Nike, to private parties with Steven Tyler, Vince Neil, and Adam Levine, be sure to follow Matty on his social networks to keep up on all of the action!

Various international commercials for MetLife (composed, performed, and produced), other composing for National Geographic TV, live performance events for Nike and IBM. Produced and played on records such as Fleet Walker’s Morning Void, Jay Shepard’s Harsh Mistress, Influenced’s She Does and hundreds of other commercial releases. Have appeared live on drums with Adam Levine, Ty Taylor ( of Vintage Trouble), and others listed in bio.

About Gretsch

Gretsch Drums is an iconic American drum brand manufactured in Ridgeland, South Carolina.

For more than 130 years, our award-winning company has been providing "That Great Gretsch Sound" to drummers around the globe.